1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a removing and cleaning agent (hereinafter referred to simply as "removing agent") composition for a photoresist and a method of remove, and more specifically, it relates to a removing agent composition for removing photoresist layers in the manufacturing process of semiconductor integrated patterns, and a method for removing the photoresist layers.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Each semiconductor integrated pattern can be manufactured by a method which comprises applying a photoresist onto an inorganic substrate, carrying out exposure and development to form a photoresist pattern, etching the unmasked portions of the inorganic substrate through the photoresist pattern as a mask to form a fine pattern, and then releasing the photoresist film from the inorganic substrate, or by a method which comprises carrying out ashing after the formation of the fine pattern in the same manner, and then releasing a remaining resist residue from the inorganic substrate.
Heretofore, as the removing liquid for the photoresist which can be used in these methods, acidic removing agents and alkaline removing agents have usually been used.
Examples of the acidic removing agents include a removing agent comprising an arylsulfonic acid such as benzenesulfonic acid, toluenesulfonic acid or xylenesulfonic acid, a phenol and a chlorine-containing organic solvent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,401), and a removing agent comprising an aromatic hydrocarbon such as naphthalene, a phenol and an arylsulfonic acid (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 35357/1987).
These acidic removing agents are weak in releasing force, and what is worse, they are strongly corrosive to aluminum, copper and the like which have often been used as wiring materials for the formation of fine wires. For this reason, they are not suitable for fine works in which dimensional accuracy has been severe in recent years. Furthermore, the solubility of these acidic removing liquids in water is low, so that after the removing of the photoresist, rinsing is required to be done with an organic solvent such as an alcohol prior to water washing, which makes the process intricate.
On the other hand, examples of the alkaline removing liquids include a removing agent comprising an ethylene oxide adduct of an alkanolamine or a polyalkylene polyamine, a sulfone compound and a glycol monoalkyl ether (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 49355/1987) and a removing agent comprising dimethyl sulfoxide as a main component, a diethylene glycol monoalkyl ether and a nitrogen-containing organic hydroxy compound (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 42653/1989).
However, each of the above-mentioned alkaline removing agents dissociates by moisture absorbed during use to generate an amine which assumes alkalinity. Thus, if water washing is carried out after the removing of a photoresist without washing with an organic solvent such as an alcohol, the alkalinity is assumed at the time of the water washing. In addition, the alkaline removing agent has a strongly corrosive function to aluminum, copper and the like which have often been used as wiring materials for the formation of fine pattern, and therefore, the alkaline removing agent is not suitable for the work of ultrafine pattern in which dimensional accuracy has been strict in recent years. Moreover, when the alkaline removing agent is used, the rinsing with an organic solvent such as an alcohol is necessary after the removing of the photoresist. Accordingly, the alkaline removing agent has a problem that a process is intricate, as in the case of the acidic removing liquid.
In recent years, the etching conditions of the wiring material are more and more strict with a tendency that a wiring process becomes ultrafine, so that the used photoresist tends to bring about the change in quality. Hence, the releasing properties of the above-mentioned acidic removing liquid and alkaline removing liquid are insufficient, with the result that there is a problem that the photoresist remains on the inorganic substrate inconveniently.
Therefore, in order to prevent the above-mentioned problems, a removing agent is required which can easily remove a resist film, a resist layer, a resist residue and the like and which does not corrode a wiring material at the resist removing.